Hamida Burmaki

In April I started lecturing at the university again at my old faculty, law and political science. There are now 600 students in my faculty and about 25%-30%of them are women.

But the university is very poor. We don 't have anything. We just have one computer that was a gift from a lecturer at London University for the entire faculty. We don't have enough books, stationary or even pens. A German NGO has promised us carpets and furniture, but nothing has arrived.

I am very lucky. I'm about to go to Cambridge University. I will be at New Hall College for a month. It will be my first trip to the UK.

I'm hoping to research women's rights and women's leadership while I'm there. I'm hoping that I will be able to get a long-term scholarship to study. I would like to do a PhD.

When the Taliban were here it was a critical situation, and it was not possible for us to go to foreign countries to study for an MA or PhD. The British government has given us £195 for the month and has promised to pay for any emergencies. I would like to study for longer at either Cambridge or Oxford.